We want to worship and control the Bible so we can be safe and have easy answers, but the Bible itself is abundantly clear, there are no easy answers. That’s why the simplest form and concept in the Book is the most important one, “Come, follow Me.”

I keep hearing this term thrown around lately. It’s something that people on ‘my side’ of any specific argument say about people on ‘the other side’ who obviously are close-minded, mouth-breathing, idiot elitists or rednecks or pagans or…whatever your villain of the day flavor is right now.

I have allowed myself to be censored. I have cared too much for the opinions of man. I have not loved in action and deed as I should. I have worried too much about success and not enough about truth. Real truth. I have not joyfully defended my God when I should. I have not angrily turned over tables in temples when I should have. I have played nice. I have let politics interfere with my thinking as if any government of man can fix or has ever fixed anything. I have not stood against inequity enough. I have not stood against inequality enough. I have been lazy in my pursuit of my purpose. And I have wanted to be liked. Forgive me, Lord. And I’m sure there’s more.